


Bella the Cat

by heytheregisela



Category: Rooster Teeth/Achievement Hunter/Funhaus RPF
Genre: Fluff, M/M, Mavin, One Shot, RageHappy, bella the dog
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-09-12
Updated: 2015-09-12
Packaged: 2018-04-20 08:28:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,108
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4780607
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/heytheregisela/pseuds/heytheregisela
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After noticing the cute dog walker one day at the park, Gavin decides to take his neighbor's precious dog out in hopes of gaining the dog walker's attention.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Bella the Cat

**Author's Note:**

  * For [gloomybelle](https://archiveofourown.org/users/gloomybelle/gifts).



> Shout out to Kaity (gavinbee on tumblr/gloomybelle on here) for giving me this adorable idea. :D

Gavin couldn't be bothered to introduce himself to his neighbors when he moved out of his small apartment and into an actual house. He wasn't even sure if he had ever _seen_ any of the people that were his neighbors in that old apartment complex, so he expected it to be similar in the neighborhood. He assumed everyone would mind their own business and maybe greet him if they happened to see each other, yet he doubted it and he didn't care.

Which was why it came as an immense surprise when the doorbell rang and it wasn't the pizza delivery person, but rather, it was a man who _wasn't_ holding any pizza boxes. How disappointing. But also alarming. _Who the bloody hell is this bloke?!_ Gavin blinked and took a step back, ready to slam the door shut, but the man smiled brightly at him and waved.

“Hi there. I noticed you moved in the other day. Just wanted to welcome you!” Okay, he sounded friendly enough.

Gavin visibly relaxed as he sighed. “Oh. Um, thank you...” he trailed off and the man got the hint.

“Jon,” he said, holding out his hand. Gavin finally returned his smile as he shook his hand.

“Gavin.”

A sudden bark had his eyebrows shooting up in surprise and he looked over Jon's shoulder to find a small, fluffy dog with golden fur sitting patiently on the sidewalk. Jon followed Gavin's gaze and nodded toward the animal.

“That's Bella,” he informed Gavin.

“Ah, so she's yours?”

“Yeah, and I think she just barked because... your pizza's here.”

Gavin brightened at that. Sure enough, a car pulled up and Bella stood from where she sat as young male who looked to be a teenager stepped out. Jon patted one of his thighs and Bella rushed over to his side. Gavin had to admit, she was an adorable dog, though he still preferred cats. Now that he lived in a house, he could have a cat! The thought made him smile and he barely registered what Jon was saying to him – something about Bella's dinner? Before he knew it, the delivery guy was standing in front of them, holding out the pizza box and looking frightened.

“Well, Gavin, I'll leave you to it. Welcome to the neighborhood! If you ever need me, I live in the blue house down the street,” Jon told him, pointing in its direction as he stared slowly backing away, Bella following him with every step.

“Thank you, Jon,” but Gavin figured this encounter would be the last one for awhile. He just wasn't interested in becoming _best friends_ with any neighbors. With that, Jon flashed the delivery guy a smile and Gavin wanted to laugh over the fact that the teen's focus was entirely on Bella. _She isn't going to bite you, mate. She seems properly trained._ For his sake, however, Gavin hurried with getting the money out of his pocket and paying him so he could be on his way already. The teen handed him the pizza and tuned away, practically running back to the car.

Gavin just shook his head and headed inside to enjoy his meal that he would have with a nice cold beer to drink. And as he predicted, he didn't see much of Jon after that day. Paying him a quick visit did cross Gavin's mind from time to time when he got rides home and they would drive past that perfect little blue house with the freshly mowed, dark green grass.

“You know the person who lives there?” His actual best friend, Barbara, finally asked one day when her curiosity over why Gavin would happen to look out the window when they drove past that house became too strong to ignore.

“Not really,” he answered her with a lazy shrug. Barbara was going to question further about it, but she also shrugged and decided to change the subject to something they heard at work and Gavin sat up in his seat, intrigued to hear the extra details she had received from another coworker. Jon completely left his mind then and didn't return to it until a week later when Gavin found himself sitting on a park bench after his attempt at a run.

The weather was surprisingly nice for summer; the sun didn't feel like it was scorching down on everyone and somehow that made Gavin want to go for a run. Why not? He decided a little exercise wouldn't kill him, but as soon as he had reached the park, he was done. Absolutely done. He sat down on the nearest empty bench and stared up at the sky, not caring how loud his breathing was.

“Come on, girl,” he heard someone say before they started whistling. Gavin wasn't sure what possessed him to look over at the person, that person out of all of the other people in the park making a bunch of noise, but he did and he thought he stopped breathing for a moment when that person looked up and met his eye.

The first thing Gavin noticed were the soft, auburn curls that seemed to frame the man's face in the cutest way. The second thing he noticed were the five dogs surrounding him. And Gavin blinked hard when he noticed that. _Five_ _dogs._ Three large breeds and two tiny ones. Jesus, this guy was quite the dog person.

“Come on, Penny. Your owner's waiting for _you_ ,” the guy said again, his attention back on the dog instead of on Gavin. Owner? Wasn't _he_ the owner, though?

Gavin looked at the particular dog he was talking to – a brown dachshund whose tail was wagging excitedly as it stared up at the guy. It must have been because of the tone the guy was using. A kind of sweet and humorous tone. Gavin smiled.

“Don't give me that look. Your owner said you would give me that look. She told me, and I quote, 'Michael, if Penny gives you the look like she's the most innocent dog in the world, don't give in so easily. She does that to everyone.'”

Michael? The corners of Gavin's lips rose even higher. Cute stranger who apparently walks dogs for people was named _Michael._ Penny honestly looked defeated as Michael began tugging lightly at her leash when he began to walk and she gave in after seeing the other dogs were happily following along. As they walked by, Gavin couldn't help but stare up at Michael (as creepy as that was) and he was able to see that he had freckles and brown eyes. Michael was too occupied making sure each dog was okay and that their leashes weren't getting tangled to realize Gavin was staring, and he never did. Gavin watched him a little longer, amused at the sight of him with all of those dogs with him, but then he dropped his gaze and almost cursed himself for the next thought that came mind: _I wish I had a dog._

Great. Now he wanted a dog just so he had an excuse to talk to the cute dog walker without being weird. But... he didn't really _want_ a dog. Gavin ran his fingers through his messy hair and slumped his shoulders. He was silent for a few minutes as he tried forgetting Michael. This wasn't the first time he saw an attractive person that he never got the pleasure of seeing again and it definitely wouldn't be the last, so there was no use in being upset. But it was shame – Michael was _really_ cute. He should have just talked to him. He could have asked how long he'd been walking dogs and what the names of the other dogs were, or something. That would have been so easy!

“Damnit,” Gavin breathed out. Why didn't those questions come to mind before?! Well, if he was honest to himself, he probably wouldn't have been able to get those questions out anyway.

His disappointment was short-lived as another idea hit him. His eyes widened. _Bella_. Okay, okay, he could never be certain that Michael would even come back to that exact park again, but if he did, he wanted to be more prepared than just simply asking questions. He didn't have a dog of his own, but he knew a certain neighbor that happened to have an _adorable_ and well-behaved dog. It also gave him an excuse to finally pay Jon that visit.

Gavin had the next day off, so he took the opportunity to walk down the street and find himself at Jon's door with a raised fist. Was this ridiculous – using his neighbor's dog to get Michael's attention? Of course it was! He knocked anyway. He heard a familiar bark and then some footsteps before the door was swung open and he was met with Jon's stunned expression.

“Gavin, hey,” he greeted, a smile slowly gracing his features. Gavin grinned back.

“Hi, Jon! How are you?”

“I'm... I'm good. A little surprised by this. I was, uh, I was actually just about to head out to take Bella for a walk.”

Gavin's heart leaped in his chest. _Perfect._ “Oh, mind if I take her?”

Jon didn't look pleased by that. “Uh... no. No, that's... that's okay. I like my walks with her-” he was cut off by his phone ringing and mumbled “Sorry” to Gavin as he took it out of his pocket and answered. “Hello?”

Gavin glanced down at Bella who was staring up at him with her head tilted. She deserved an award for cutest dog. Gavin bent down and began speaking to her in a babyish tone, causing her tail to start wagging.

“Oh, okay... yeah, that's fine,” Jon said to whoever he was on the phone with. “No, no, I'm not busy. I can go. Okay. Thanks. See you soon.” He hung up and let out a long sigh. Gavin immediately stood back up and offered an apologetic smile.

“Bad news?” He asked. Jon nodded.

“Yeah, my boss wants me to go into work right now,” he then looked down at his dog and frowned, though he recalled Gavin's offer. “Hey, Bella. How do you feel about going for a walk with Gavin?” Gavin gasped quietly. It was working. Bella didn't voice any protest. Then again, how would she?

“You sure you're up for this?” Jon asked Gavin. “I can always ask Lindsay, the girl who lives next door over. She's walked Bella a few times for me before-”

“I can do it!” Gavin was basically bouncing with joy at this point. Despite how strange it was that he hadn't seen Gavin since they met and suddenly he's there and wanting to walk his dog, Jon was a little desperate and hated the thought of Bella not getting her daily walk. He was also sure Lindsay was supposed to be busy with something, so he couldn't interrupt her.

Handing over Bella's leash to Gavin, Jon started to explain a few things about her. Gavin nodded as he listened carefully, since he _did_ want to be extra careful with a dog that wasn't his. The guilt would be endless if he allowed Bella to be harmed in some way or another. After being sure Gavin knew everything he needed to, Jon bent down to stroke Bella's soft fur and bid them a goodbye. Gavin waved to him as he turned to walk off with Bella.

“I should be back in less than two hours, so just... keep her entertained until then!” Jon called out to them.

“I will!” Gavin called back and he hoped Jon couldn't see the eager smile on his face as they walked in the direction of the park.

* * *

 

Gavin plopped himself down on the very same bench from the day before and Bella easily sat down near his feet.

“Good girl,” he cooed, petting her gently. He liked how quickly she accepted him, giving him little to no trouble the whole walk there. There were a few times where she was determined to stop to sniff something, but she would quickly grow uninterested and move along. Not that Gavin minded.

Bella was a dog and she was pretty curious of certain objects and smells, he could understand that. In a way, he was too. Wasn't everyone? That was kind of a normal thing with any animal or person. Right? Gavin was so indulged in his own thoughts that he let go of Bella's leash for a second to wipe his palms on his jeans and brush his hair away from his forehead. When he reached to grab that leash again, it was gone, and he panicked. He jumped up from the bench and frantically looked around.

“Bella?!” He cried. No way this was already happening. He only had her for half an hour! What was Jon going to say? That dog was his joy. Just as Gavin was ready to start running wildly through the park in search of her, someone cleared their throat and he turned around to find Michael holding Bella in his arms. He sighed in relief, _loudly,_ and Michael smirked.

“Uh, yeah, she saw me throw a ball for another dog and went running after it,” he spoke. Being too relieved that Bella was okay, Gavin didn't quite put together yet that this was _Michael_ , the reason he had Bella with him, he was talking to.

“Thank Christ,” Gavin sounded breathless as he took Bella back from Michael, and that's when it came to him. _Oh, bollocks._ He stiffened as he held Bella and stared at Michael with his mouth hanging open.

“I'm the one who deserves the thanks, but yeah, sure,” Michael shrugged. Gavin sputtered as he looked away, because he could feel his face getting a bit warm. He was usually better at talking to people...

Michael laughed and Gavin froze. Oh, what a lovely sound. Gavin forced himself to smile. Being face-to-face with Michael made it easier for Gavin to see just how adorable he seriously was – with lips that Gavin found himself distracted by and had to force himself to not solely focus on them, those freckles splattered over his face and... was that a _dimple_?

“Hope this isn't too forward or anything, but hey, if you ever need someone to walk her for you, I wouldn't mind,” Michael told him. “S'kinda what I do,” he gestured toward the two dogs a little away from them, obediently sitting and waiting for Michael's return with a ball in front of them.

“Oh, she's not mine. She's actually my neighbor's cat,” Gavin answered so casually that he was baffled by the look Michael gave him. It made him uncomfortable. That wasn't a nice look. Why was he _looking_ at him like that?

“Are you fucking serious?” Michael asked. Gavin raised his eyebrows, a little taken back by the tone and choice of words. He didn't expect that kind of language to come out of someone like Michael.

“Yes?” Gavin responded, but he wasn't sure anymore. Michael continued to stare in disbelief, only glancing down at Bella for a bit before returning his eyes to Gavin's face.

“She's a _dog_ – not a cat,” he finally corrected. Gavin tilted his head to the side, as did Bella, and Michael fought back the urge to smile at that. However, his lips did twitch upward.

“That not what I said?” Gavin questioned.

“You called her your 'neighbor's _cat_ ',” Michael said, folding his arms across his chest. He took a step closer to Gavin, but he stopped when he saw the pink that was starting to form on Gavin's cheeks. And he laughed again. “Fucking dumbass,” he said through his giggles and Gavin, though admittedly a little embarrassed, couldn't help himself from laughing as well. It was better to laugh than to just stand there feeling stupid about messing that up, because, as he laughed, he figured it could have been worse. He could have not said anything at all like the day before and Michael would have went back to the dogs and that would have been the end of that.

Instead, they were laughing together, and it felt nice.

Michael gasped for air after managing to stop laughing, but he continued to grin at Gavin as Gavin tried doing the same. “I'm Michael,” he said.

“I know,” Gavin casually responded when he was also done laughing. Michael's eyebrows squeezed together and Gavin could have sworn his heart dropped. _Damnit!_ “Oh, uh! I... I was... I was here yesterday and I heard you saying your name when you-” he searched the park until he spotted the dogs again and pointed at them, “-when you were talking to the dogs.” That wasn't a lie.

Michael's smile was back, wider than before. “What's your name then?” He asked.

Gavin sighed in relief. “Gavin,” he answered. A bark cut in, causing them to turn their heads toward the dogs still waiting. 

“Oh, uh, I gotta go take care of them,” Michael said, taking a few steps toward them. “Nice meeting you, genius.” 

“ _Gavin_ ,” the Brit corrected, feigning annoyance as he dramatically huffed. 

“ _Gavin_ ,” Michael repeated and Gavin shook his head at the fake accent Michael had said it in. Michael turned away and only got a few steps in before looking at Gavin once more, “Uh, walking dogs is my second job, something I do on the side for some extra money... so, uh, if you... you know, if you ever come to this park a little bit earlier on any day, um, maybe we can hang out or something.” 

“You want to see me again?” It was merely a question Gavin was wondering in his mind, but he said it out loud anyway. Michael averted his eyes as he smiled.

“Sure, why not?”

That drop of his heart from earlier was recovered now and the feeling was replaced with a fluttering one that Gavin sort of hated, though he kind of liked it, too. “I'll keep that in mind,” he told Michael, grinning crookedly. Michael scoffed and rolled his eyes and Gavin decided he  _really_ liked the way he was. The way he acted and the way he talked. It was different from the way the people he knew were. It was refreshing and made the crush he was quickly developing to grow.

Again, Michael looked away, but he didn't walk off without saying first, “You can bring that  _cat_ with you, too. I'm sure she'd love to play with some  _dogs_ ,” the humor in his tone had Gavin groaning. That groan had Michael laughing. 

And that laugh made Gavin smile.

 


End file.
